Mauve Recluse
The Mauve Recluse is a species of giant recluse found in Monster Space and Dangerous Wilds. They are unique as an enemy, in that they are crepuscular. During both the day and the night hours, they retreat into a hideaway in a crevice. However during sunset and sunrise they emerge to hunt. Due to the short period of time in which they have to find their prey they go into a psychotic feeding frenzy, making them extremely dangerous as they are opportunistic and often will attempt to feed on adventurers. While hunting they produce a continuous, baritone "bellow". They will return to their hideaways during nightfall and daybreak. Appearance As their name indicates, their thorax is mauve in color. Whereas regular-sized recluse spiders were known as fiddlebacks due to a violin-shaped dorsal marking on their abdomen, Mauve Recluses have a more cello-shaped dorsal marking that extends from the abdomen and up to edge of the thorax at the base of the head. They have a laterally compressed profile that aids in their slipping into their hideaways. Their six eyes are arranged into pairs with one pair facing forward and the other two along the top of the head. Their legs are spineless but the leg joints are a lighter color than the rest of the legs, and their bodies appear soft and furry due to a covering of fine hairs, roughly the softness of an otter pelt. Like other giant recluses, Mauves have a tremendously necrotic venom. Behavior Mauve Recluses have a higher than average metabolism and whereas giant recluses can live up to 5 years between meals, typical Mauve Recluses must feed nightly. This is because they produce eggs at an extremely rapid rate. This ensures that their species survives even if no food is found for some time, as many recluses can be killed during the feeding frenzies. Operatic Mauves have lost these issues thanks to evolution. At the best, Mauves live for a maximum of 80 years, although this is very rare. Operatics can live for 140 years thanks in part to a slowed metabolism. Eggs are laid weekly and take 3 weeks to hatch. Spiderlings take roughly 3 years to reach adulthood, but it can take another 10 years before reaching their full size. Mauves inhabit a biome where extreme drought can happen, and they can tolerate these conditions for 40 years so long as they can still feed; if other food is scarce or absent, they will quickly resort to cannibalism. If they are severely injured during a fight they will attempt to flee and they are quite swift for their size. If close to death they will feign death, and if their foe is an adventurer who attempts to loot them afterwards, they will swiftly bite them and inject their necrotic venom before rolling back over and attempting to flee once more. Whereas leaping spiders and giant widows are able to jump, giant recluses cannot. They produce webs but only in the crevice hideaways, which means they are not encountered by higher races. Bite The bite of a Mauve Recluse surprisingly does not cause immediate physical harm, but its effects begin immediately but are not usually noticeable outside of a victim typically knowing they've been bitten simply from the monster's overall size. The bite will quickly begin developing severe lesions with the bursting of red blood cells that will become obvious after a couple of minutes on average. Adventurers will become dizzy and will become slower due to muscle and joint pain. The skin becomes translucent and veins start becoming obvious through the skin, only appearing black in color. Eye brightness darkens. If left untreated they will suffer organ damage and die within ten minutes, but damage once it appears will remain for a full week afterwards without magical treatment. Bite Treatment First aid is possible but must be administered quick. Settlements in areas infested with Mauve Recluses are equipped with Venom Priests, who worship the spider god Vörk and will use Nature Magic to cure the affliction. Subspecies Operatic Mauve Operatic Mauves are a subspecies of Mauve Recluses found in the abandoned theater. Their name stems from their huge, deep bellow, likened to an opera singer. Social Butterfly Movement After decades of nightly terror at the fangs of the creatures, a group was founded known as the Social Butterfly Movement that seek to eradicate the Mauve Recluses. Adventurers moving out into the field are encouraged to join the movement to help the local people. However, because of the fact that the Venom Priests cure the bites of the spiders and they worship the god of spiders, members of the Social Butterfly Movement keep their faces hidden in case they are discriminated against, as Vörk may look down upon the priests for aiding someone who is directly attempting to cause the species' extinction. 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